From A Stronghold NPC To The Final BOSS - Chapter 16

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.

[R18 - Contains SMUT & UST]

“Fuck the rich!” Xue Ning declared.

“I'm rich - fuck me - not anyone else!”

As the second son of a billionaire, Sun Jingwei is undoubtedly rich, handsome and a playboy - but now he's been ensnared by his new bodyguard who hates rich people with a passion!

How can he insert himself into her 'fuck the rich' motto?

What happens when they end up married in the eyes of the public?

Here is the slowburn love story between a billionaire’s handsome playboy son and his new straight-laced, sarcastic wannabe-bodyguard wife that looks like a cute kitten!

EXCERPT:

“Oh good, you received my delivery!” was his excited reply.

“Did you accidentally mix my outfits with the ones meant for your girlfriend?” Xue Ning asks flatly.

“Of course not! I don’t have a girlfriend! All these are handpicked for you!” Jingwei exclaims.

“You handpicked underwear for me?!” She squawks, face red. “We’re not that close!”

“How can you say that? You’re practically my saviour! I owe you a life debt!” Jingwei argues. “Sexy underwear is the least you deserve!”

“You’re giving your saviour underwear?” She asks incredulously in return. “Do you not find anything weird with this?”

Jack Somnus was a mid-wealth professor of economics and a trading advisor for the powerful Johnson family. But after years of working for the Johnsons, he was abandoned without a word. He was laid off without as much as a severence package. Jack’s life got worse when he lost his wife. Depressed and alone, he got into an unfortunate accident. Instead of dying, he travels back in time to his teenage years. Now, Jack has a second chance to live the life he always wanted. He wants to be the one who controls, not the one being controlled. But his time travel hides a deeper secret, one that might throw him for a loop. [WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT EROTIC SCENES]

I despised her. I despised how she schemed to get married to me. I despised her because of her arrogance.

“Li Rui, you don't know how many times I have wished to kill you.”

But all of this was my illusion. Everything was a mysterious trap of lies. A trap that was laid to trap me.

“Rui, I want to protect you from this whole world. I will not ask you to love me.....just don't hate me. Hmm....”

The story of a lover that was never destined to get the girl he loved but his fate led him to her.